Ferrari has released products ranging from luxury cars to small boutiques featuring thousands of items but, for the first time, consumers are anticipating the release of a book which comes with a shocking price tag. The book titled Ferrari Art Edition has been published by art book specialists Taschen and offers a limited-edition work of varying natures. The 514-page book will be limited to 1,947 signed, numbered copies and feature a collector’s art edition. Each book will cost a whopping $30,000.
The beautiful red, leather-bound, hand-stitched book is enclosed in an aluminum case which was inspired by the Ferrari V-12 engine that has Testarossa red-head valve covers. The stand for the book was designed by Marc Newson and was inspired to resemble the hand-formed serpentine exhaust pipes of a vintage Ferrari 12-cylinder racecar.
There are two versions of this spectacular book that will soon be available to the public. The standard version of the book is the II Fascino Ferrari which will become available in October of this year for $6,000. The book offers unrestricted access to hundreds of photographs from the Ferrari Archives and private collectors, according to Taschen, and will reveal the entire story behind Ferrari’s protagonists, victories, and the past and future for Ferrari and is limited to of run of just 1,697 books.
The Art Edition Ferrari book makes up the first 250 copies and features the book, the aluminum case, and a stand that continues with the general motor theme. The Art Edition is elevated by a sculpture of the 12-cylinder engine that was hand-bent with flared chromed steel. The Art Edition book also comes with signatures provided by Sergio Marchionne, John Elkann, and Piero Ferrari. Within the book are Ferrari Archives and hundreds of never before seen photographs, drawings, and sketches. There are even original documents of famed Ferrari drivers and a never before seen appendix with all of Ferrari’s victories since 1947.
Pino Allievi is an Italian writer and journalist who contributed to the book as an editor. He also worked with Enzo Ferrari on the 1988 book Ferrari Racconta which was the last book the founder created before his passing a few months later. Pino Allievi has written several books on the history of cars and on its greatest heroes. Taschen said that Allievi was given unprecedented access to the Maranello archives and, with that access, pulled together hundreds of unseen photographs, drawings, sketches, and documents for those lucky enough to purchase the book.
This is not Ferrari’s first book, nor is it their most expensive one yet. The Official Ferrari Opus, which was released in 2011, features 852 pages, weighing 82 pounds and sold for $275,000. The book featured a prancing horse logo and was encrusted with 30 diamonds, which is most likely why the book resulted in such a high price.
Though the Ferrari Art Edition and the II Fascino Ferrari book is not currently available for purchase, it can be pre-ordered on Taschen’s website for when they officially launch the must-have book in October of 2018.
